•John McClure in 990709 MMDigest wrote: > Help! I need some suggestions with a broken agraffe on the C > one octave above Middle C. The shaft won't come out with reasonable > force applied, and I'm afraid the 'Easy Out' might break off > is there a recommended liquid to free the part? Kano Laborator...

•In a similar situation, I used a very sharp center punch to ding the center of the broken portion of the agraffe. Then I went to a small drill bit, like a 1/16" or so to begin, and drilled through the shaft. I continued to increase the size of the bit until the hole was near the edge of the cast ir...

•I bet it is an M (notorious agraffe poppers in that era). File the tip of a screw driver into a \/ or /\ , where the end has two points (as a fish tail). Lightly tap this into the post and turn. Do not expand the brass, just catch it. WD-40 (sparingly) or other lube oil may be needed, as well as a ...

•Thanks to all who responded to my cry for help with a broken agraffe. This worked: basically drilling the brass shaft out with center punched hole and small drill bit, then picking parts away with small awl, and cleaning and carefully re-taping hole. A good days work, but saved pulling the plate an...

•John McClure: I'm a new subscriber and haven't yet e-mailed my introduction, but I wanted to help you with your broken agraffe. I've replaced a few agraffes, always on Steinways. They used two sizes: 7/32" and 1/4". It is usually the 7/32" small one that breaks. I've heard that some didn't have the...

•Replacement stool mechanisms are available from: Schaff Piano Supply Co. 451 Oakwood Road Lake Zurich, Illinois 60047 Tel: 847-438-4556 or 1-800-747-4266 Fax: 847-438-4615 I haven't seen these parts, so can't comment on quality. Cheers Doug Rhodes

•I received an email from the eastern part of North Carolina about some wooden carousel figures that were flooded for several days, causing joint separations. They were not in good shape to begin with. These are old pieces that were glued up with hide glue and also nailed together. They have a hollo...

•It is difficult to give suggestions, having no direct contact with the object. Anyway, this is my contribution. PEG (polyethylene glycol) has been widely used for restoration of wooden waterlogged archeological artifacts; its main scope is to replace the water inside the wood, thus avoiding damages...

•Hello Brian, The little rubbers are available at the US clock supplier S. La Rose. They sell for $8.50 + postage for the set of three. The stock number is 085133. You can reach them at PO Box 21208, Greensboro, NC 27420 USA. E-mail me if you want some hints. Regards, Moe Goldy

•Harvey Roehl wrote: > Help! I'm looking for either (a) a complete roll electric roll motor > for my Ampico 'B' or (b) referral of a good motor shop that can rewind > one. I burned mine, and the armature has to be rewound and the field > probably should be. I have the following comments on the Ampic...

•I watched Larry Norman demonstrate his archival tape at Charlotte NC and thought that it was a really great product. I'm personally happy to know about it, and would recommend it to all the aficionados of classic players. However, I have to see QRS's point, and don't think that it's irresponsible t...

•Craig Brougher said: > Scotch tape is permanent and has a very good adhesive, and it has > lasted me, in some cases, over 30 years. I can still play the rolls > I fixed in the 1970's. The acid in the roll paper is what causes the > roll to disintegrate in moist climates, by the way. The tape doesn'...

•Hi everybody. I have a number of Polyphon discs that are missing a great many projections due to rust and mishandling. Does anybody have any ideas about how I can go about replacing these without going mad ? I have read about a few methods in various books, such as using cut staples and epoxy (yuck...

•I have been following the discussion about roll repairs. Years ago we spent hours removing old yellow tape and associated residue from precious rolls. At that time, we used the best thing that we were aware of, Scotch Magic Transparent tape (the frosty finished clear tape). Although we now know bet...

•I would suggest you don't bother repairing projections if a lot are missing, but if the discs is a favourite you could send it to Lester Jones in Chichester UK at Renaissance discs and he would copy it for you, =L=1.50 (UK pounds) per inch of diameter. His machine reads the holes, not the projectio...

•When I started out in this business I ordered a set of universal replacement strings. They were used so infrequently they discolored and I discarded them for a few reasons. When a bass string breaks, I can usually splice a new piece of wire on it and not have to bother with it again. I've successfu...

•-- forwarded message, please reply to sender and MMD -- Hello, my name is Emma Richard and I live in St. Louis, Missouri. A friend of mine gave me her Euphona piano made by the Cable Piano Company for the price of moving it out of her basement. Questions: 1. Since the piano was in the basement, the...

•[ In 000119 MMDigest Mark Kinsler wrote about fiberglass Sousaphones, [ and I commented that it's easier to have brass horns repaired when [ accidents happen while traveling. -- Robbie Most any decent boat or body shop as well as companies that specialize in home built composite airplanes should be...

•I tried Tom Lear's method on restoring paper player piano rolls. I recently bought a batch of five that must have been in an attic; they were so brittle that I could not even touch the paper without putting my finger right through it. One song, "Broadway Melody", was one that I had been seeking for...

•Hi Folks, I am in the cleaning and inspecting phase of an M. Schulz upright player action rebuild. The only defects in the piano I can find are bridge pin cracks (not pin block). Most bridge pins have a crack emanating out from the pin approximately 1/16 inch and perpendicular to its associated str...